Tag: Asshole

Cassandra Clare – Clockwork Prince | Review

Title: Clockwork Prince

Author: Cassandra Clare

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 512

Rating: 2.5/5

 

Cassandra Clare - Clockwork Prince

Cassandra Clare – Clockwork Prince

 

Yeah, I’m still not a fan of this series. The Mortal Instruments has been okay so far, but both of The Infernal Devices books that I’ve read have been so dull and lifeless. I don’t like Clare’s depiction of Victorian London, mainly because I don’t think she actually bothers to do it too much, and I feel as though these books could just as easily be set anywhere else in the world at any time period given that they spend most of their time inside Shadowhunter institutes or whatever anyway.

I was also under the impression that this was supposed to be urban fantasy, whereas the two books so far have just been romance novels with maybe ten pages of fantasy thrown in. This one has a love triangle in, a trope which I’ve always hated, and Will Herondale is such an asshole that it physically pains me to read about him. I hope he dies in the next book. This book tried to explain why he’s such a douchecanoe, but I don’t think it’s any excuse.

Not that I really care for the other characters, either. Tessa is a wet blanket, Jem is okay but again, because such a big deal is made about the fact that he’s dying, I hope that he does actually die so that it’s not all a big cop out at the end of the next one. I’m pretty sure that some cure will be found or something, though. In fact, if her other books are anything to go by then he’ll die and be brought back to life, which is another thing that I hate. Death isn’t a joke and shouldn’t be used so lightly, and Cassandra Clare isn’t the only author to devalue it by constantly killing and resurrecting her characters.

 

Cassandra Clare

Cassandra Clare

 

But I’m going off on a tangent. Part of the problem for that is that I just don’t have too much to say about this book. Nothing much happened because like I say, it was all about romance. A bunch of different people hooked up and then hooked up with other people like some giant game of pass the parcel where you don’t want to see what’s inside. Then it ended, and I already can’t remember what actually happened. And I only finished it a couple of hours ago.

Granted, I’m not necessarily the target audience for this book, but The Mortal Instruments series is at least tolerable. With this one, I’m just so over it and the thing I liked about it the most was the fact that it had massive print. When your favourite thing about a book is the size of the print, you have to start asking yourself questions about why you’re even reading it, and I’m actually not sure. I’d have given up on Clare’s books by now if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m buddy reading them with some friends. Eh. Yeah, I definitely wouldn’t re-read.

 

Cassandra Clare Quote

Cassandra Clare Quote

 

Click here to buy Clockwork Prince.


Charles Bukowski – Love is a Dog from Hell | Review

Title: Love is a Dog from Hell

Author: Charles Bukowski

Type: Poetry

Page Count/Review Word Count: 307

Rating: 8/10

 

Charles Bukowski - Love is a Dog from Hell

Charles Bukowski – Love is a Dog from Hell

 

Well, with a title like this, you know you’re not going to be disappointed – this collection of Bukowski poetry brings all of the usual to the table, and it’s as good a book as any to start with if you’re new to his work. It’s a good one for Bukowski veterans too, if I’m honest.

Poems like ‘now, if you were teaching creative writing, he asked, what would you tell them?’ have a more personal connection – I studied creative writing at university, and so I was keen to see what he had to say. If you’re interested, here’s his advice – ‘I’d tell them to have an unhappy love affair, hemorrhoids, bad teeth and to drink cheap wine.’ Typical good advice from Bukowski, there.

In fact, the book is stuffed full of the usual references to booze, horses and women – all of his books are. He’s a fascinating autobiographical character, an ageing alcoholic with a barfly lifestyle. Somehow, he’s likeable – he’s an asshole, but he’s our asshole, and that’s just fine.

 

Charles Bukowski

Charles Bukowski

 

A lot of his words are oddly prophetic“‘your poems about the girls will still be around 50 years from now when the girls are gone,’ my editor phones me.” This collection was first released in 1977, the year that Elvis died and the first Star Wars film came out – 36 years ago. They’re still around now, at least. Bukowski himself died of leukemia in 1994, aged 73.

Overall, it’s well worth a read whether you’re new to Bukowski or not – it’s as good as any other book to start with, and interestingly enough it’s one of the many Bukowski collections which has crossed genres and inspired the names of songs and albums as well.

 

Charles Bukowski Quote

Charles Bukowski Quote

 

Click here to buy Love is a Dog from Hell.